How Long Shadows Should Have Ended
by Akakabuto
Summary: Ashfur reveals some secrets when he attempts to murder Squirrelflight's kits, and Squirrelflight isn't about to let him get away with it.
1. Chapter 1

_((AN: This first chapter is taken directly from chapter 22 and 23 of Long Shadows. It is in Jayfeather's perspective, but once in the next chapters it will be from Squirrelflight's perspective.))_

Squirrelflight took a step away from them, and glanced carelessly over her shoulder. Her green eyes were fiercer than Hollyleaf had ever seen them, with an expression she couldn't read.

"If you really want to hurt me, you'll have to find a better way than that," Squirrelflight snarled. "They are not my kits."

The noise of the storm andthe fire faded and the only sound Jayfeather could hear was the blood roaring in his ears. He shook his head, straining to hear what Squirrelflight and Ashfur said next, cursing the blindness that hid their expressions from him.

"You're lying." Ashfur's voice was choked with disbelief.

"No, I'm not." Squirrelflight spoke softly, but her intensity pierced through the crackle of the f lames. "Did you see me give birth? Did I nurse them? Stay in the nursery until they were apprenticed? No."

"But—I" Ashfur began, then fell silent. Jayfeather could almost hear the paws of memory racing through his mind.

"I fooled all of you, even Brambleclaw," Squirrelf light went on scornfully. "_They are not mine_."

"And no cat in the Clan knows?" Ashfur's disbelief was changing to uncertainty.

"No. They're all as blind as you are to the truth."

Jayfeather sensed a shift in Ashfur's thoughts, reaching out toward power once more. "What do you think will happen when I tell them?" he challenged. "Will your Clanmates let you stay in ThunderClan, knowing you have lied to them—to Firestar, to your sister, to Brambleclaw?"

"You'll tell them?" Squirrelflight's voice was sharp with pain.

"Do you really think I won't? I can still make you lose what you love most. Brambleclaw will want nothing to do with you. You were a fool to think I would keep your secret. But you have always been a fool, Squirrelflight. I'll let these cats— whomever they belong to—live. But your suffering has only just begun."

There was a rustling in the undergrowth, and Ashfur's scent faded as he stalked away.

"Jayfeather, here's the branch." Lionblaze's voice was tense. Jayfeather felt his brother's teeth sink into his scruff and lift him bodily until his paws felt the rough bark of the branch underneath them. Lionblaze kept hold of him until he had got his balance. "Straight ahead," he ordered. "Hurry." Jayfeather forced his paws to move, trusting Lionblaze as he stumbled forward with the heat and roaring of the fire on either side. He let out a hiss as pain stabbed one of his pads, as if he had trodden on a burning twig. Then the worst of the heat died away behind him, and he half fell, half leaped off the branch. The ground beneath his paws was hot, but not burning. He was safe!

Heartbeats later he heard Hollyleaf and Lionblaze leap down beside him.

Thunder rumbled above them, but now it was farther off, as if the storm was moving away. Mercifully rain began to fall again, hissing onto the flames. The wind was dying down; there would be no more danger from falling trees. Jayfeather heard yowls from down in the hollow, as if the cats were returning to the camp, and had spotted the cats on the top of the cliff. But he and his littermates ignored them.

"Squirrelflight?" Hollyleaf 's voice quivered; Jayfeather could sense her disbelief warring with fear. "That's not true, is it? We are your kits, aren't we?"


	2. Chapter 2

Squirrelflight turned to cast her green gaze over the three cats. Her eyes were weeping and tired from the flames, but glowed with warmth.

"Of course you are. I had to come up with something to get Ashfur away from you." She purred. Relief swept over the cats. "Besides, even if I hadn't given birth to you... I still raised you. I still love you beyond measure. Losing you would have destroyed me." She admitted, her eyes watering.

"And Brambleclaw, our father?" Lionblaze carified. Squirrelflight squeezed her eyes shut and let out a happy sigh.

"Yes. The one and only." She butted her head gently against Lionblaze. "Now, you two take Jayfeather to the medicine cat den. Leafpool will need your help treating any cats who were burned or inhaled too much smoke." She instructed, lifting Jayfeather's singed paw and giving it a gentle lick.

"Where are you going?" Hollyleaf asked. Lionblaze, too, shared her discomfort of their mother leaving so quickly after such an event. Jayfeather's thin pelt bristled under the dampness.

"Not to worry. I won't be out of sight, I promise." She assured them, giving each of the cats a lick to their forheads. "I need to talk to Firestar." She explained, then swept her bushy tail to guide the cats in front of her. "Go on, I'll be right behind you. Watch out for embers." She warned.

The cats trudged forward. Hollyleaf was acutely aware of her mother's presence behind her, glancing back every once in a while until they made it into the hollow.

"Jayfeather! Hollyleaf, Lionblaze! Oh, and Squirrelflight, you're all alright!" Leafpool cried out, rushing to butt heads with her sister. "_Are _you alright?" Leafpool hesitated, looking over her sister's tired form.

"I'll be alright after a few moons of sleep." Squirrelflight admitted with a groan. "Have you seen Father?" She asked. Leafpool nodded, flicking her tail towards the Highledge.

"I've treated him and sent him to rest. Mother is with him. Squirrelflight, come, let me look you over..." Squirrelflight pulled away from Leafpool's gentle tail, shaking her head.

"I will. Right now, look over my kits." She ushered the three forward with another flick of her bush tail. "Jayfeather's paw has been singed a bit, and the other two can help you treat any injured cats." Hollyleaf perked up a little with pride. That's right, she had some medicine cat training! She could easily help. Lionblaze seemed put off by the idea, but helped guide Jayfeather into the den anyway, with Hollyleaf following behind. Leafpool glanced warily at Squirrelflight, no words needed.

"I'll be fine. Trust me." She purred weakily. Leafpool grunted and licked Squirrelflight fiercly on the shoulder.

"As soon as you're done with Father, come right to me. Or stay there, I will come to you. I... Just be careful." She murmured. Squirrelflight smiled at her sister and brushed up against her side before padding off towards Highledge.

The ginger warrior's body ached and her lungs burned from smoke, but she knew there were more important things to take care of than just her body. As she climbed the Highledge, she looked over the hollow, taking in the scattered cats. Although many had singed fur and were coughing like they had greencough, they were all helping each other, guiding those whose eyes were swollen from smoke into the medicine cat den. She caught the eye of her apprentice Foxpaw, who flicked his tail excitedly. The fire seemed to have only scorched a few whiskers on the young cat, and now he was feeding off the exhileration.

"Foxpaw. Take some warriors who aren't hurt and do a small patrol around the hollow. See how far the fire has spread and how fast it's dying." She instructed. Foxpaw nodded eagerly, racing off towards a small mottled gray apprentice. Squirrelflight blinked, focusing. ThunderClan didn't have a mottled gray apprentice. As the apprentice turned to Foxpaw, Squirrelflight realized it was Icepaw, her fur completely covered in soot, being slowly washed away by the rain.

"Squirrelflight?" Squirrelflight's heart jumped as she recognized the voice, and finished her journey into Firestar's den.

Brambleclaw had apparently just gotten to his paws, his imprint still left in the moss next to Firestar. He smiled wearily.

"I thought that was you. I take a moment to rest and you're already taking out my deputy work." He chided. Squirrelflight forced a weak smile. The sight of her father had sent her thoughts reeling at what Ashfur had said.

"Squirrelflight.. You look terrible." Firestar lifted his head. Squirrelflight could see where the fire had scorched his cheeks- no doubt he had been the last to get out of the hollow in his rush to get his clan to safety. "Has Leafpool looked at you?"

"Yes, don't worry about me." Squirrelflight shrugged off his concern. She wasn't exactly lying- Leafpool _had_ looked at her. She made the wonderful decision to settle down on her belly. The stone was cool and her skin felt like it was still in the midst of a fire. "I need to talk to you. It's... Incredibly important." Squirrelflight admitted.

"Squirrelflight, we've just been through a fire.. Surely it can wait?" Firestar muttered, his voice coarse from smoke.

Squirrelflight shook her head so fiercly she saw stars when she opened her eyes again. "_No, _Father." She insisted. Firestar blinked in surprise.

"I know you're serious when you call me Father." He admitted with a wheezy chuckle. Brambleclaw flicked an ear back.

"Well, I will leave you to talk, then? The clan could use some-" Squirrelflight flicked her tail at him, nodding for him to sit down.

"No, this includes you as well, Brambleclaw. It's... It's about Ashfur." Squirrelflight finally admitted. Brambleclaw stiffened and he immediately sat, curling his tail around his paws intently.

"Go on." Brambleclaw encouraged, his expression unreadable but his amber eyes glinting.

"During the fire, our kits were trapped." Squirrelflight explained, her throat tightening a little. She realized how close she had come to losing them in that moment, and she had to take a moment to breathe. Brambleclaw's eyes had widened now. "They're okay." She quickly reassured him as his claws scraped against the cool stone of Firestar's den. "But, while I tried to save them... Ashfur came. He helped me drag a branch to create a bridge out of the fire for them. I was too weak to carry it myself."

"Thank goodness." Firestar let out a breath of relief, his leaf-green eyes fluttering shut. Brambleclaw glanced at him, as though he was admiring his ability to hold his judgement on a cat so well.

"But, he wouldn't let them pass." Squirrelflight continued. Firestar's eyes flashed open, narrowing slightly.

"What do you mean?" He leaned forward in his nest, shifting a little. Brambleclaw's shoulder fur was beginning to rise, his eyes blazing. He knew what Squirrelflight meant, and she was sure it was taking all his power to remain in the den with them.

"I mean, he wouldn't let them escape the fire." Squirrelflight hesitated before continuing. "Father, I know you're going to find this hard to believe but... Ashfur wanted to kill my kits." She told him, leveling her gaze with his. Firestar blinked in shock.

"What? Why would Ashfur want to do such a thing?" Firestar gaped. Brambleclaw got up and turned in a tight circle, his thick tail thrashing. Squirrelflight rose to a sitting position and he butted his head against her shoulder, hard.

"He wanted to get revenge against me. Because I love Brambleclaw, and not him." She whispered, catching Brambleclaw's fierce amber gaze and watching it soften as he licked her cheek gently. "But that's not all, Father." Squirrelflight continued, her voice straining with exhaustion and rage. "Ashfur told me something while he tried to burn our children to death." She hissed. Firestar still seemed to be recovering from the revelation, and looked up in surprise at her tone.

His lifted chin revealed the thin scar that circled around his throat and it drove Squirrelflight to her paws, her claws scraping noisily against the stone.

"_He _planned to have you killed in that fox trap last season!" She snarled. She sensed Brambleclaw flinch next to her, and she knew he was reliving to fact that it had also been the time he had to murder his own blood. "He wanted to kill you to get back at me then, too!" She had to lower her voice as not to screech in the den.

Firestar stared at the two in surprise, blinking back and forth.

"You're... You're positive?" Firestar wondered.

"Firestar, I've told you before about not trusting Ashfur..." Brambleclaw admitted softly, padding towards their leader and laying his tail across his shoulders. "Squirrelflight of all cats wouldn't lie about this."

"Of course not, I just..." Firestar seemed distraught, his eyes hollow. "Ashfur? I've known him since he was just a kit... He was always such a good warrior." He shook his head, closing his eyes.

"What do you suggest we do, Firestar?" Brambleclaw asked.

"Do? Exile him!" Squirrelflight thundered. "What else is there to do?" She demanded. Both the toms flinched at the word exile.

"Nobody has been exiled from ThunderClan since... Well..." Firestar half-glanced at Brambleclaw, but didn't make eye contact. He looked back at Squirrelflight. "But you're right.. I can't let an attempted murderer in our clan." He began to get to his paws, but Squirrelflight rushed to his side, settling him down with her thick tail. The leader had just recovered from his illness, and now with the fire, he needed the rest.

"Please, Father... Rest for now." She encouraged.

"No." A cold expression took over the usually passive Firestar. He got to his paws, and after a couple shaky steps, was able to pad out on to the Highledge. After an uneasy glance between them, Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw followed.


	3. Chapter 3

"Squirrelflight!" She heard Foxpaw call from below. "I did what you said! The fire has almost completely gone!" He chirped. A quick glance over the hollow could have told Squirrelflight that herself. A few flames flickered in the distance, but all that was left was smouldering wood and foliage, which was being hammered by the powerful rain.

"Good work, Foxpaw." She praised him. "Why not try to find some dry prey for the injured?" Foxpaw nodded, his tail fluffed in excitement still. He seemed to be thinking that the survival of the clan relied on him. Squirrelflight couldnt help but smile at his enthusiasm.

He raced away with Icepaw, who was now recognizeable, the rain having washed away the soot.

"Firestar?" Sandstorm looked up, her ears twitching. "Should you be up?"

"I'm feeling just fine." Firestar assured her with a raspy purr. Sandstorm flicked one ear back in disbelief but said nothing, surverying the clan.

"There aren't any deaths. Everyone is okay, besides some smoky lungs and burnt paws." She reported. Firestar let out an uneven sigh.

"Thank StarClan. Thank you, Sandstorm." Sandstorm squeezed her eyes shut and trotted away to check on the nursery.

Firestar cleared his throat. While he prepared himself, Squirrelflight surveyed the hollow, searching for her kits. She saw Jayfeather, one paw bandaged but the other working away at a singed Thornclaw. Lionblaze was entertaining the distressed kits with hunting crouches and battle swipes. Their excited cries brought some relief to Squirrelflight's tense shoulders.

She finally saw Hollyleaf, who was chatting quietly with Brackenfur. The senior warrior seemed mostly unharmed besides a tuft of scorched fur on his tail. She let out a sigh of relief, until she saw her sister.

She was gently applying a poultice to the shoulder of Ashfur. The tom's face was unreadable. His blocking of the branch had cost him some fur off his body, and Squirrelflight couldn't help but feel a little victorious about this.

Firestar seemed to see the same thing and he made an annoyed grunt, as though he didn't want his second daughter anywhere near the speckled tom.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, and with enough strength, please gather under the Highledge!" Firestar called. Most of the cats seemed surprised. Those who were mostly uninjured has sought shelter from the rain and now trudged out in annoyance, their pelts sticking to their bodies. Leafpool looked surprised as Ashfur slipped out from under her paws, sitting underneath the Highledge. He refused to meet Squirrelflight's eyes and instead stared straight ahead. Ferncloud sat next to him and gently licked away some of the soot from his fur. Cloudtail weaved his way through the crowd before plopping down next to the tom as well, cracking a joke that Squirrelflight didn't hear and that Ashfur had no reaction to.

"I've recieved word that no cat was killed in the fire." Firestar announced first. A relieved sigh swept through the cats. "However, this was not for lack of trying." He continued. His strange words seemed to stun the clan as they glanced between each other in confusion.

"What do you mean, Firestar?" Cloudtail asked loudly. Squirrelflight glared down at Ashfur, whose eyes had narrowed to blue slits.

"I wish I could wait to say this, after what we have just been through this tragedy. But there is no time to waste after what I have learned." Firestar sighed. "Ashfur." The named rippled through the clan as cats turned to find him amongst the scorched fur. Ferncloud look at him in surprise and Cloudtail twitched one ear, looking at his foster brother. Ashfur's face still remained unreadable.

"Ashfur..." Firestar continued. "I have been informed that, during the fire, Ashfur attempted to murder three cats. Hollyleaf, Lionblaze and Jayfeather." This time, outraged cries spread like the first itself had.

"No!" Ferncloud cried out in shock, getting to her paws to look at Ashfur in horror. Cloudtail snarled, his fur bristling.

"Say it's not true!" Cloudtail demanded. Ashfur met neither of their gazes.

"It is true!" Hollyleaf shouted, her tail thrashing. "He blocked our only exit out of the flames and was going to let us die!" She yowled. More outcry followed. "And, he told us that he had tried to kill Firestar before us!" Squirrelflight flinched. She had wished Hollyleaf had let Firestar say that, but she knew her daughter had her own haughty temper when it came to justice.

Cloudtail's claws shot out in an instant.

"Say... Say it's not true." He demanded. Ashfur said nothing. "Look at me!" Cloudtail demanded with a distressed screech. Ferncloud was silent with horror, taking slow pawsteps away from her brother. Ashfur finally swung his head around to look at Cloudtail.

"It's not true." He muttered. His hollow words didn't seem to calm Cloudtail, whose face was a mixture of grief and unbridled rage. His loyalties were pinned against his brother and his uncle.

"_Liar!_" Lionblaze yowled, his thick fur bristling. "We all heard you! Me, Holly and Jay! And Mother! You tried to kill Firestar using the fox trap last season!" He practically howled the words. Something in what he said made Ashfur sneer.

"You're still going to call her _mother_?" Ashfur snapped. "After what _she _said?" He snarled. He then turned to the Highledge and Squirrelflight felt a slight panic in her heart. She had forgotten to mention the lie she had concocted to save her kits. "Brambleclaw, wouldn't you be interested to know that these kits aren't even _yours_?" He hissed.

The clan seemed distraught, cries of confusion ringing out. Brambleclaw flicked his ears back, glancing at Squirrelflight in distress and confusion. Squirrelflight stepped forward while Firestar acknowledged her with a gentle nod.

"Those kits have the blood of Brambleclaw through them." Squirrelflight growled, surprised at the strength in her voice. "I lied in order to save _my _kits." She hissed. "And even if I _had _lied, don't you think a few attempted murders area little more trouble?" She snarled.

Now the clan seemed to rally and turn on the speckled gray tom, their backs arching as they formed a wide circle around him. Only Ferncloud and Cloudtail remained, their eyes brimming with grief and confusion.

"You really did all that?" Cloudtail choked out, his smoke-stained fur still bristling. Ashfur grit his teeth.

"You have no idea! You have no idea how much pain I was in!" He screeched. Cloudtail's face suddenly composed with resolve, and he padded past Ashfur without another look, brushing up against Ferncloud.

"Come on, Fern." Cloudtail growled. Ferncloud said nothing, but only stared at her blood brother. When Cloudtail forced her paws to move, she cried out.

"Ashfur, no!" She cried out in grief, one paw outstretched. For a second, a flicker of regret crossed Ashfur's face. "No!" She cried again.

Dustpelt helped Cloudtail guide the distraught molly away from Ashfur as she cried out, her body trembling.

Squirrelflight stepped back to allow her father to speak again, dipping her head with respect and thanking him.

"Ashfur. Since you have attempted to murder four cats of your own clan, I must make the decision to exile you from ThunderClan." Firestar spoke evenly, despite the distraught cry from Ferncloud echoing in the hollow. Cloudtail's teeth were grit so tightly that a small trickle of blood was straining his fur. Ashfur jumped to his paws with a hiss.

"Where am I to go?" He demanded.

"You'll become a rogue. Where you go after that, it is no trouble to ThunderClan. If we catch you on our territory, you will be treated as an intruder and attacked on sight." Firestar explained. Ashfur's eyes narrowed in fury.

"Fine." He snarled, thrashing his tail, though he could not hide the fear and grief in his eyes. He turned and was surprised to see Thornclaw and Brackenfur approach him, their fur bristling.

"We will escort him to the border, Firestar." Thornclaw boomed in his deep voice. Brackenfur said nothing, but with his narrowed eyes, he didn't need to. Ashfur took a step back, his tail bristling as the reality of the situation crashed down on him.

"Ashfur, how could you!" Cloudtail yowled, his eyes filled with grief.

"I just wanted to be loved!" Ashfur cried back, his eyes flattening. Ferncloud rushed from her mate's side to push her muzzle into Ashfur's neck.

"I did love you." Ferncloud cried softly. "Wasn't that good enough?" She whimpered. Ashfur seemed taken aback at this, his eyes wide.

"Enough!" Firestar cried, his voice settling the hollow. "Thornclaw, Brackenfur, please escort Ashfur to the border." The brothers nodded, with Brackenfur gently nudging Ferncloud away from her brother.

"How could you..." Ferncloud cried again, allowing Dustpelt's tail to wrap around her in comfort. Ashfur's facade had quickly fallen apart and now his face was contorted with grief.

"No, I don't want to go!" He shouted at Thornclaw and Brackenfur, backing up. "Firestar, please!" He turned back to the Highledge. Firestar said nothing, only narrowing his eyes at the speckled grey tom.

"Take this like the warrior you once were." Brambleclaw finally spoke, his tail thrashing. Ashfur stared at him, mouth agape, seeming to lose his words.

"Let's go." Thornclaw shouldered Ashfur towards the exit of the hollow with no remorse. Brackenfur was quickly at his side, claws unsheathed and legs stiff, but walking calmly.

Cloudtail got up quickly and follow the three as they left the hollow, his thick tail the last they saw as the group disappeared.

Squirrelflight let out a long sigh of relief. Her legs seemed to buckle underneath her and she fell with a thump while cats cried out near her. Darkness filled her vision and she finally gave up the fight, falling into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

When the ginger molly awoke, she was nestled in a dry moss bed in the medicine cat den. The pool of water gurgled quietly next to her, and she got up to take a drink, clearing away some of the soot from her throat.

"Squirrelflight, you're awake!" Leafpool bounded towards her from the back of the medicine cat den, brushing up against her sister.

"Yes... What happened?" She wondered. Leafpool cuffed her around the ear with a sheathed paw, her nose crinkled.

"You were a fool and refused to let me check up on you! That fire did a number on you. You're lucky." Her face quickly relaxed and she purred again. "But you're okay now, that's what's important. Plus, you had that sleep you were talking about." She let out a small _mrrow_ of laughter. Then, her face became more solemn. "Ashfur is gone. Brackenfur and Thornclaw came back not long after you passed out."

"What about Cloudtail?" Squirrelflight wondered, settling back into her nest to rest.

"He stayed out longer, but he's back now, too. I guess he was grieving..." Leafpool murmured, mostly to herself, fixing the moss around Squirrelflight's belly. "Can I get you anything? How is your throat?"

"Fine, fine, I'm fine, Leafpool." Squirrelflight assured her. "Honestly, this time." She cracked a small smile with Leafpool returned, though not after a gusty roll of her eyes.

"Leafpool?" Jayfeather padded into the medicine cat den. "It seems like everyone has been taken care of." His paw was still wrapped, but he was not walking so gingerly on it any more. "Squirrelflight? You're awake, that's good." Jayfeather bent his head to sniff at Squirrelflight's cheek and lick it gently. "We were worried about you."

"You don't need to worry about me. It's my job to worry." Squirrelflight purred, wrapping her paws around Jayfeather's neck and pulling him down to lick his head. He grunted and squirmed indignantly but eventually relaxed, even letting out a quiet purr.

"Mother!" Squirrelflight looked up at Hollyleaf's voice and the small black cat rushed into the den, her green eyes gleaming. "You're awake!" She immediately settled next to Squirrelflight, despite Leafpool's squawk of disapproval, something about there not being enough room for healthy cats in the den. Lionblaze followed quickly behind his sister, silent but familiar amber eyes glowing.

"We were so worried!" Hollyleaf admitted sheepishly. Squirrelflight let out a gentle chuckle.

"There's nothing to worry about now." Squirrelflight assured them all, wrapping her tail around Lionblaze and licking Hollyleaf's forhead. "Everything is going to be just fine. I have my kits with me."


End file.
